Fixing device and image forming apparatus
A fixing device includes a transport member that transports a recording medium in a first direction, the recording medium having on one side thereof an image formed of an image forming material that is to be fixed by absorbing light; a first chip that has a first light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally; and a second chip that has a second light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally. A gap between the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area extends at an angle with respect to the first direction, and a portion of the first light-emitting area and a portion of the second light-emitting area overlap each other in the first direction.
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This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-206247 filed Sep. 21, 2011.
BACKGROUND(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fixing device and an image forming apparatus.
(ii) Related Art
Exemplary techniques of fixing toner transferred onto paper in image forming apparatuses include a technique in which light, such as a laser beam, is applied to the toner on the paper.
SUMMARYAccording to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a fixing device including a transport member that transports a recording medium in a first direction, the recording medium having on one side thereof an image formed of an image forming material that is to be fixed by absorbing light; a first chip that has a first light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally; and a second chip that has a second light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally. A gap between the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area extends at an angle with respect to the first direction, and a portion of the first light-emitting area and a portion of the second light-emitting area overlap each other in the first direction.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a controller, a communication unit, a storage unit, and a power supply unit (all not illustrated). The controller controls operations performed by the above-described elements included in the image forming apparatus 1. The controller includes a central processing unit (CPU), a read-only memory (ROM), and a random-access memory (RAM). The communication unit connects to an external apparatus such as a personal computer or a facsimile and is responsible for transmission/reception of image data. The storage unit includes a device, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), that stores data and programs used by the controller. The power supply unit supplies power that is necessary for activating the elements of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 configured as described above performs the formation and fixing of a toner image on the front side of the paper P while the paper P is transported along the transport path. Hereinafter, the direction in which the paper P is transported is referred to as “transport direction” (an exemplary first direction), a direction orthogonal to the transport direction is referred to as “width direction” (an exemplary second direction), and a dimension of the paper P in the width direction is referred to as “paper width”.
Referring to
(1) The long sides L2 of the light-emitting areas 5222A and 5222B are angled by 45 degrees with respect to the y axis.
(2) A gap g1 extends between one of the long side L2 of the light-emitting area 5222A and one of the long side L2 of the light-emitting area 5222B that faces the former long side L2.
(3) The y coordinates of the vertices a1 and b1 are the same (or the y coordinates of the vertices a3 and b3 are the same).
(4) The x coordinates of the vertices a3 and b4 are the same (or the x coordinates of the vertices a2 and b1 are the same).
(5) The ratio of a length L4, which is the sum of a length L3 of the gap g1 in the direction parallel to the short sides L1 and a length L1, to a length L2 is 1:2.
In the above conditions, “length L1” denotes the length of each of the short sides L1 of the light-emitting areas 5222A and 5222B, and “length L2” denotes the length of each of the long sides L2 of the light-emitting areas 5222A and 5222B.
In Condition (1), the angle “45 degrees” implies not only an angle of exactly 45 degrees but also angles around 45 degrees including a certain margin of error. In Conditions (3) and (4), the term “the same” implies not only a case where the two coordinates are exactly the same but also cases where the difference between the coordinates of the two vertices falls within a certain margin of error. In Condition (5), the ratio “1:2” implies not only a case where the ratio of the length L4 to the length L2 is exactly 1:2 but also cases where the ratio of the length L4 to the length L2 is about 1:2 including a certain margin of error. If the chips 522 are arranged satisfying the above conditions, the accumulated light intensity becomes uniform within an area w0 illustrated in
The present invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiment. The above exemplary embodiment can be modified in various ways. Some exemplary modifications will be described below. Any combination of two or more of the following modifications is also acceptable.
(1) First Modification
Referring to
(2) Second Modification
(3) Third Modification
The chips 562A and 562B are arranged satisfying conditions listed below:
(A) The short sides L1 of the light-emitting areas 5622A and 5622B are parallel to the x axis.
(B) Each short side L1 of the light-emitting area 5622A and a corresponding one of the short side L1 of the light-emitting area 5622B are in one straight line.
(C) A long side L2 of the light-emitting area 5622A resides adjacent to one of the long sides L2 of the light-emitting area 5622B.
In Condition (A), the term “parallel” implies not only a case where the short sides L1 are exactly parallel to the x axis but also cases where the angle formed between each short side L1 and the x axis is within a range including a certain margin of error (a certain range of variation resulting from the normal manufacturing process). In Condition (B), the expression “to be in one straight line” implies not only a case where each short side L1 of the light-emitting area 5622A and a corresponding one of the short sides L1 of the light-emitting area 5622B are exactly in one straight line but also cases where the two short sides L1 of the light-emitting areas 5622A and the 5622B extend in an area around one straight line defined by a certain margin of error. If the chips 562 are arranged satisfying the above conditions, different points on the paper P that are distributed in the width direction all travel through a uniform length of the light application area. According to the third modification, all points on the paper P excluding points in the areas facing the gaps g2 start to receive light simultaneously. As long as Conditions (A) to (C) are satisfied, the points on the paper P that are distributed in the width direction all travel through a uniform length of the light application area even if the chips 562 are arranged at certain distances from one another.
(4) Fourth Modification
(5) Fifth Modification
The light-emitting elements according to the present invention are not limited to VCSELs and may be any light-emitting elements other than VCSELs, such as edge-emitting semiconductor lasers. Moreover, the light-emitting elements may be arranged in an irregular pattern, instead of a matrix pattern. For example, the chips may be one-dimensional-array chips.
(6) Sixth Modification
The driving circuit 523 may output individual driving signals to the plural light-emitting elements, respectively. The driving circuit 523 may be controlled to output individual driving signals to the respective light-emitting elements 5221 such that the accumulated light intensity becomes a predetermined value (for example, such that the light intensity that accumulates in the transport direction becomes uniform for all of different points on the paper P that are distributed in the width direction). By employing such a control method, the accumulated light intensity becomes uniform even if the light-emitting elements are arranged in an irregular pattern as in the fifth modification.
(7) Other Modifications
In this specification, the term “uniform” refers to a state where the variation in the accumulated light intensity or in the length of travel through the light application area falls within a predetermined range.
In the above exemplary embodiment, the direction in which the x axis extends is not limited to the direction illustrated in
The light-emitting areas and the chips may each have any shape instead of a rectangular or substantially rectangular shape or a parallelogrammatic or substantially parallelogrammatic shape, as long as the gaps extend at a certain angle with respect to the transport direction.
While toner is taken as an exemplary image forming material in the above exemplary embodiment, the image forming material may be ink. Ink dries when light is applied thereto. Thus, an image formed of ink is fixed.
Needless to say, a number of light-emitting chips are provided in the first direction and/or the second direction.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A fixing device comprising:
- a transport member that transports a recording medium in a first direction, the recording medium having on one side thereof an image formed of an image forming material that is to be fixed by absorbing light;
- a first chip that has a first light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally; and
- a second chip that has a second light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally,
- wherein a gap between the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area extends at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to the first direction, and a portion of the first light-emitting area and a portion of the second light-emitting area overlap each other in the first direction,
- wherein the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area each have a substantially rectangular shape,
- wherein the substantially rectangular shape has first-length sides and second-length sides
- wherein the second-length sides are angled by about 45 degrees with respect to the first direction,
- wherein the gap corresponds to an area extending between one of the second-length sides of the first light-emitting area and one of the second-length sides of the second light-emitting area that faces the one second-length sides of the first light-emitting area,
- wherein a positive side in the first direction corresponds to a downstream side toward which the recording medium is transported,
- wherein a positive side in the second direction corresponds to a side of the first chip nearer to the second chip,
- wherein one of four vertices of the first light-emitting area whose coordinate in the first direction is the smallest and one of four vertices of the second light-emitting area whose coordinate in the first direction is the smallest have the same coordinate in the first direction,
- wherein one of the four vertices of the first light-emitting area whose coordinate in the first direction is the largest and one of the four vertices of the second light-emitting area whose coordinate in the second direction is the smallest have the same coordinate in the second direction, and
- wherein the ratio of a length that is the sum of a length of the gap in a direction parallel to the first-length sides and a length of each of the first-length sides to a length of each of the second-length sides is 1:2.
2. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the intensity of light that accumulates in the first direction during a predetermined period of time has a distribution within a specific range in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, the light being applied to the one side of the recording medium from the light-emitting elements of the first chip and the second chip.
3. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a transfer unit that transfers an image on a recording medium; and
- the fixing device according to claim 1.
4. A fixing device comprising:
- a transport member that transports a recording medium in a first direction, the recording medium having on one side thereof an image formed of an image forming material that is to be fixed by absorbing light;
- a first chip that has a first light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally; and
- a second chip that has a second light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally,
- wherein a gap between the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area extends at an angle with respect to the first direction, and a portion of the first light-emitting area and a portion of the second light-emitting area overlap each other in the first direction,
- wherein the quantity of light emitted per unit area is larger in the portions of the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area that overlap each other in the first direction than in other portions of the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area that are staggered from each other in the first direction.
5. The fixing device according to claim 4,
- wherein the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area each have a substantially parallelogrammatic shape,
- wherein the substantially parallelogrammatic shape has first-length sides and second-length sides, and
- wherein one of the second-length sides of the substantially parallelogrammatic shape of the first chip resides adjacent to one of the second-length sides of the substantially parallelogrammatic shape of the second chip, and each of the first-length sides of the substantially parallelogrammatic shape of the first chip and a corresponding one of the first-length sides of the substantially parallelogrammatic shape of the second chip are in one straight line.
6. The fixing device according to claim 4, wherein the gap between the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area extends at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to the first direction.
7. A fixing device comprising:
- a transport member that transports a recording medium in a first direction, the recording medium having on one side thereof an image formed of an image forming material that is to be fixed by absorbing light;
- a first chip that has a first light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally; and
- a second chip that has a second light-emitting area in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the one side of the recording medium are arranged two-dimensionally,
- wherein a gap between the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area extends at an angle with respect to the first direction, and a portion of the first light-emitting area and a portion of the second light-emitting area overlap each other in the first direction,
- wherein the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area each have a substantially parallelogrammatic shape,
- wherein the substantially parallelogrammatic shape has first-length sides and second-length sides, and
- wherein one of the second-length sides of the substantially parallelogrammatic shape of the first chip resides adjacent to one of the second-length sides of the substantially parallelogrammatic shape of the second chip, and each of the first-length sides of the substantially parallelogrammatic shape of the first chip and a corresponding one of the first-length sides of the substantially parallelogrammatic shape of the second chip are in one straight line.
8. The fixing device according to claim 7, wherein the gap between the first light-emitting area and the second light-emitting area extends at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to the first direction.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 17, 2012
Date of Patent: Dec 30, 2014
Patent Publication Number: 20130071161
Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)
Inventors: Osamu Ueno (Kanagawa), Tomoaki Kojima (Kanagawa), Hideo Nakayama (Kanagawa), Masateru Yamamoto (Kanagawa)
Primary Examiner: Walter L Lindsay, Jr.
Assistant Examiner: Jessica L Eley
Application Number: 13/399,104
International Classification: G03G 15/20 (20060101);